Acidic Diet Tips

Acidityis related to Heartburn and Gas formation in stomach. In acidity, acid reflux or Gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), or more commonly known as 'Urdhvag Amalpitta' in ayurveda, there is a movement of gastric juices ( acid in nature) from the stomach into the lower part of esophagus. Ayurveda considers it to be caused by the aggravation of Pitta dosha. When Kapha is associated with this aggravated Pitta, the Acid starts climbing the oesophagus. This is exactly the hyperacidity for most of us and is translated widely as- Heartburn, Acid Reflux, Acid Brash etc.

TREATMENT :

Home Remedies

1] For an instant relief from the high acid take tender coconut (Cocus nucifera) water. A dose of 100 to 500 ml should be taken twice/day. This is the best quick releiveing home remedy for the Heartburn alias Acid reflux.

2] Take the powder of Amalaki (Emblica officinalis) in a dose of 3 to 6 g should be taken with100 to 250 ml water twice/day. Amalaki is one of the best pacifier for the Pitta as well as the Kapha Dosha and also a rich source of Vitamin C- to heal the bruised stomach and esophagous due to the high production of the Acid in stomach.

3] To get relief from the high reflux of the acid mix gruel of ricecorn, raw sugar, and honey in equal quantity. A dose of 100 to 200 g should be taken twice/day. This will full the stomach and the mucoidal layer on will protect the Stomach and esophagus for longer times and will keep the heartburn and acid reflux, away.

4] Take powdere of Haritaki and Bhringraja (Eclipta alba) in equal quantity. A dose of 3 to 6 g should be taken with 12 g of jaggery and warm water twice/day- this will help you to get rid of the basic causes behind the Acid Reflux and Heartburn. Bhringraj is a herb of choice to get rid if the liver problems and all kind of digestive upsets.

5] Instead of Tea or Coffee prepare a decoction from the equal parts of stem of Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), fruit of Neem, leaf of snakeguard, and Triphala. A dose of 14 to 28 ml should be taken twice/day. Take it only after cooling down to the room temperature. If you dont find the taste of above one, try this second option - prepare a decoction of equal parts of dried ginger, fruit of coriander, and leaf of snakeguard. A dose of 14 to 28 ml should be taken twice/day, keep in mind if you are mixing sugar- dont boil the sugar.

6] Drink coriander (Coriandrum sativum) and cumin (Cuminum cyminum) tea, it is nice when your Acid reflux or heartburn is caused by the indigestion or overloading of the stomach in a late night party.

Quite a common condition across all age groups is acidity. Gastric acids are produced in the stomach to aid in digestion, and when there is an increase in the production of the acid, the stomach lining is likely to be inflamed resulting in a host of problems.

Often caused by an inappropriate diet such as consuming too much greasy and spicy food or fasting for long or binge eating or problems with the digestive system, the condition can, however, be treated with certain foods.

Here is an account of the diet that you can follow when suffering from acidity.

Coconut water: It goes without saying that coconut water contains all the essential nutrients that offer numerous health benefits. But many people are not aware of the fact that this natural drink helps in combating acidity to a great extent. Coconut water is isotonic, and this helps in keeping up the natural pH balance in the body by flushing out toxins.

Banana: This fruit is considered a perfect remedy for acidity, owing to its high potassium content. Potassium helps in relieving the symptoms and discomfort caused by acidity while stimulating the stomach lining for producing the mucus that can lower down the pH levels. Moreover, the high fibre content inhibits the recurrence of acidity. Eating overripe bananas can ease the acidity caused by fasting or eating spicy foods.

Muskmelon: According to the expert dietitians, muskmelon contains many nutrients along with the antioxidants and fibre which play an active role in combating different symptoms of acidity and other problems of the stomach. This fruit offers soothing effect on the digestive system by reducing the acidity levels and helping in mucus production.

Cold milk : This is a practical natural aid that helps in preventing the build-up of acid in the lining of the stomach. It helps in absorbing excess acid present in the stomach and thereby relieves the burning sensation in the stomach and chest.

Buttermilk: Both curd and buttermilk are known for their effectiveness in treating stomach problems. These humble milk products can beat the burning sensation by bringing about a cooling effect. It helps in reducing the discomfort and irritation in the stomach by offering the needful nutrients which can be easily digested.

Hot water: Simple solutions are often overlooked in case of acidity, and people end up taking medications. Hot water is a powerful means of fighting different health issues such as acidity. Drinking warm water acts as a natural detoxifier which flushes out most of the toxins from the digestive system while lowering the amount of acidity and its allied symptoms.

Thus, the next time you get bouts of acid attacks, you can take refuge in these measures that can help you get relief from the symptoms without much delay. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Gastritis/ acidity is usually mild and can be cured easily by following better food habits and regular healthy lifestyle. However, sometime gastritis can cause pain in the upper part of the abdomen and may lead to stomach ulcers. Few over-the-counter (otc) antacid medicines and a set of do's and don'ts can relieve gastritis.

Some of the lifestyle and dietary changes are as follows:

Lifestyle / dietary changes:

Excess spicy food and use of painkillers, alcohol, cigarettes and acidic beverages lead to symptoms of gastritis. To get rid of symptoms of gastritis, one should follow these simple remedies.

Eat food in smaller quantity and switch to several small meals.

Painkillers lead to ulcers in your stomach and cause bleeding. So, avoid unnecessary use of painkillers.

Kapalabhati, bhastrika and anulomaviloma yoga increases movement of body and organs, helpful in the treatment of gastritis.

Fruits: Fruits contain vitamins, minerals, fibers and antioxidants should be the part of the diet plan.

Rice gruel: Rice gruel helps in the formation of watery gastric juice and reduces the acidity level within the stomach. Only rice that has been aged for one year must be used. Wheat and barley are beneficial.

Dairy products:Calcium and vitamin d in milk reduce the stomach acids and gives relief to the stomach but, it should be with low content fat.

Grains: Whole wheat chapattis, pasta, noodles made from whole grains should be included in the diet. Refined flour (maida) products should be strictly avoided. Limit the consumption of whole grain chapattis to about 2 chapattis, per day.

Green coconut water: Drink green coconut water, as it provides the stomach with the necessary rest, vitamins, and minerals which provide an excellent and easy remedy for gastritis.

Foods to be avoided:
Several foods produce a large amount of acid in your stomach leading to gastritis. You should avoid intake of such foodstuffs in your diet:

Salty and spicy foods

Vinegar and vinegar based food items.

Aerated drinks, citrus juices, caffeine.

High fat/cholesterol contained food items.

Beef, fried fish, and pork.

Baked products like cookies, cakes, chocolates.

Medical treatments

Medical therapies/ options:
Several allopathic medicines are used for the treatment of gastritis, but their prolonged use can lead to problems like weak bones, constipation, vomiting. Antibiotics are used to kill h. Pylori bacteria, which causes ulcers and gastritis in your digestive tract. Antacids normalize acid production by blocking the action of the parts of cells that produce acids. Ulcer healing agents protect the tissues that line your stomach and small intestine. Besides these, surgery is preferred in complicated cases of gastritis like pus or mucous filled infections in stomach and intestines.

Ayurvedic and herbal therapies:
In Ayurveda, gastritis is known as urdhavaga amalapitta. It is caused in people who have pitta dosha, which means disturbance in the digestion of food leading to indigestion. When the pitta dosha gets increased in such people, there are greater chances of getting gastritis. Ayurvedic preparations like dhaatriloha, sukumaraghrita, sootashekhara rasa, kaamadudha rasa, leela vilas rasa, chandrakala rasa, amalakichoorna, triphalachoornaand amalapittantaka rasa are beneficial in gastritis. If there is constipation along with gastritis, then avipattikarachoorna is taken as the medicine of choice.

Few herbs that are beneficial for gastritis patients are

Cardamom (ilaayachee): soothes the stomach. It is especially beneficial if the gastritis causes heartburn.

Fennel (sauph): is digestive, traditionally used by Indians. Fennel gives the soothing effect to the stomach, facilitates digestion, reduces flatulence and relieves the stomach of excess acidity.

Ginger (adrakh): it is effective in treating indigestion that is associated with gastritis. It is especially useful for people who consume more of a non-vegetarian food.

Amla: Amla is very beneficial in the treatment of several stomach ailments including gastritis.

Sandalwood (chandan): helps in gastritis because it has cooling properties. It can soothe the stomach muscles inflamed by gastritis.

Asparagus: it's roots are effective in reducing the hyperacidity of the digestive system.

Licorice (mulethi) root powder: the root of the licorice soothes the injury of the stomach and also reduces the h pylori.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Foods that commonly trigger heartburn or make it worse, include:Citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemonsTomatoes and products that contain tomatoes, such as tomato sauce and salsaChocolateMint or peppermintFatty or spicy foods, such as chili or curryOnions and garlic

What other lifestyle changes can treat acid reflux?In addition to acid reflux diet changes, see which of the following lifestyle changes you can make.

Quit smoking. Smoking increases your risk for heartburn and acid reflux disease in several ways. It may increase the amount of acid secreted by your stomach and interfere with the function of muscles that help keep acid down.

Reduce reflux while sleeping. These steps will help reduce reflux when you sleep:Put blocks under the head of your bed to raise it at least 4 to 6 inches. This helps keep your stomach's contents down. However, it doesn't work to simply use lots of extra pillows because this position may increase pressure on your abdomen.Stop eating at least two or three hours before lying down.Try sleeping in a chair for daytime naps.Lessen the pressure. Often, extra pressure around your abdomen increases acid reflux. Try these steps:Don't wear tight clothes or tight belts.If you're overweight or obese, take steps to lose weight with exercise and diet changes.

Acidityis related to Heartburn and Gas formation in stomach. In acidity, acid reflux or Gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), or more commonly known as 'Urdhvag Amalpitta' in ayurveda, there is a movement of gastric juices ( acid in nature) from the stomach into the lower part of esophagus. Ayurveda considers it to be caused by the aggravation of Pitta dosha. When Kapha is associated with this aggravated Pitta, the Acid starts climbing the oesophagus. This is exactly the hyperacidity for most of us and is translated widely as- Heartburn, Acid Reflux, Acid Brash etc.

1] For an instant relief from the high acid take tender coconut (Cocus nucifera) water. A dose of 100 to 500 ml should be taken twice/day. This is the best quick releiveing home remedy for the Heartburn alias Acid reflux.

2] Take the powder of Amalaki (Emblica officinalis) in a dose of 3 to 6 g should be taken with100 to 250 ml water twice/day. Amalaki is one of the best pacifier for the Pitta as well as the Kapha Dosha and also a rich source of Vitamin C- to heal the bruised stomach and esophagous due to the high production of the Acid in stomach.

3] To get relief from the high reflux of the acid mix gruel of ricecorn, raw sugar, and honey in equal quantity. A dose of 100 to 200 g should be taken twice/day. This will full the stomach and the mucoidal layer on will protect the Stomach and esophagus for longer times and will keep the heartburn and acid reflux, away.

4] Take powdere of Haritaki and Bhringraja (Eclipta alba) in equal quantity. A dose of 3 to 6 g should be taken with 12 g of jaggery and warm water twice/day- this will help you to get rid of the basic causes behind the Acid Reflux and Heartburn. Bhringraj is a herb of choice to get rid if the liver problems and all kind of digestive upsets.

5] Instead of Tea or Coffee prepare a decoction from the equal parts of stem of Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), fruit of Neem, leaf of snakeguard, and Triphala. A dose of 14 to 28 ml should be taken twice/day. Take it only after cooling down to the room temperature. If you dont find the taste of above one, try this second option - prepare a decoction of equal parts of dried ginger, fruit of coriander, and leaf of snakeguard. A dose of 14 to 28 ml should be taken twice/day, keep in mind if you are mixing sugar- dont boil the sugar.

6] Drink coriander (Coriandrum sativum) and cumin (Cuminum cyminum) tea, it is nice when your Acid reflux or heartburn is caused by the indigestion or overloading of the stomach in a late night party.

Choose an alkalinediet – If you remember from your chemistry class in school, the pH Scale provides a measure between 0 most acidic and +14 most alkaline.Our body’s optimum is pH 7. 36 which is tilted towards being alkaline, an alkaline diet is one which helps you maintain a perfect Ph balance and does not create unnecessary acids. It is a fact that we usually like a lot of acidic food but this only harms our optimum body function.

Eat Greens- Eat a lot of green vegetables, fruits, roots, nuts. These are alkaline and keep you away from acidic gases. Make vegetables the focus of your meals, not meats.

Reduce the intake of Acidic food- Reduce your intake of acidic food like eggs, refined sugar, meat, white flour, and dairy.Limit Alcohol Consumption- Alcohol has high sugar content and is highly acidic. In large quantities, it can be fatal. It is perfectly ‘ok’ if you like a glass of beer or wine every now and then. Just be conscious of how much you drink.

Drink Alkaline Water – Drink a lot of alkaline water at least 8 to 10 glasses a day. Average tap water has an alkaline content of about 6.5 to 7 Ph but alkaline water has about 9 Ph . This will keep your body most hydrated and make sure you do not generate unnecessary gas or acid.

Exercise – Break into a sweat regularly. This will also help losing weight while keeping acidity in check.Seek Balance – Stress is a major cause for acid as well, so look at mind altering exercises like Meditation , Yoga , deep breathing and long walks.

The stomach produces strong hydrochloric acid which plays a major role in the digestive process. This acid is contained within the stomach by the closing of a valve in the lower oesophagus. A higher-than-normal concentration of the acid is quite common and it could be due to various reasons that cause acidity, some common ones being obesity, eating large meals, certain acidic foods like citrus fruits, alcohol, smoking, pregnancy and aerated beverages.

The symptoms of acidity include heartburn, a bloated feeling in the stomach, burping, hiccups, nausea and weight loss. An important thing to notice is that acidity is not a disease, but a symptom of an underlying disease. Unless there are serious structural issues, most cases of acidity can be managed with dietary and lifestyle changes. Some of the best, yet simple and effective ways to deal with acidity are listed below.

Habit of eating smaller, but frequent meals. Eating one large meal is one of the main causes of acidity. Eating smaller frequent meals gives the stomach time to digest the food and also avoid acidity.

Avoid eating close to bedtime. When you go to bed with a stomach full of food, you are sure to end up with acidity. A minimum of 3 hours should lapse between the last meal and the bedtime. This gives sufficient time for the stomach to clear the contents.

Sleep with the head of the bed slightly elevated. Raising the head of the bed ensures there is no regurgitation of food, thereby preventing acidity.

Daytime nappers with acidity issues can try to sleep in a recliner or on a chair to prevent acidity attacks.

Manage weight through weight loss measures including diet and exercise. Obesity is one of the main reasons for acidity, and managing weight can help control acidity.

Smoking is a major cause of acidity. The negative pressure created during smoking helps regurgitation of acid, causing heartburn. Quitting smoking can help relieve long-term acidity symptoms.

Alcohol is another substance that aggravates acidity, and reducing or quitting can help in relieving acidity.

Acidity can be prevented by maintaining a proper ratio between acid and alkaline foods in diet. All flesh foods leave highly acid ash in the blood. Fruits, green and root vegetables are highly alkaline foods and help to alkalize the blood. Daily Diet should consist of four-fifths of alkaline forming foods such as fresh fruits, tubers, legumes, leafy and root vegetables and one- fifth of acid forming foods such as meat, fish & bread.Diet during Acidity: – Breakfast may consist of fresh fruit.Lunch may consist of light-starchy vegetables like beet, carrot, cauliflower. Desserts and fruits may be added to this.Home Remedies for Acidity:- Raisins: - It has excess alkalinity, is helpful in maintaining the acid balance of the body.Spinach: - Helpful in cleaning blood and preserving the alkalinity of the blood.Tomatoes: - Increase alkalinity of the blood.Avoid:- Tea, Coffee, Sugar, White flour, all products made with sugar and white flour, all refined foods, fried foods, pickles, alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco and carbonated beverages.

*Diet –Avoid fried, spicy and sour foods.*Maintain food timings-neither stomach should be empty nor heavy, frequent small helpings may be ok..*Prefer – whole grains, milk, curd, greens, fruits and such items which suit you.*Have timely and adequate sleep.*.Drinking lots of water is good.*Be relaxed and avoid tension*.Daily jogging or such exercise to ensure good blood circulation which helps nutrients reaching the skin and face*Increased blood circulation, in turn, takes away toxins from the system making you more active agile and fit.